Summer’s here with schools breaking up for their holidays this week and next.

Glossopdale Sixth Form student Ellis Clarke (pictured), who lives in Glossop, joined the Tameside Reporter and Glossop Chronicle plus Tameside Radio this week for his week’s work experience.

Here he shares his top ten ideas of what you can do and where you can go locally and in the North West…

LEGOLAND Discovery Centre & SEA LIFE Manchester

The exhilarating Lego attraction at the Trafford Centre, which offers a wide range of exciting facilities, will be open to the public throughout the summer. Open between 10am-7pm, there is plenty of time for you to come and delve into a world of bricks and colour. Among its two million Lego bricks, there are also two thrilling rides and an immersive 4D cinema. Special party rooms are also available to make a celebration even more special. Just next door is the SEA LIFE centre where you can expect to be taken on a journey into the marine world, with a special Finding Dory event being hosted between the 16th July and the 11th September. Tickets can be purchased as a Combi Package from £17.50, while children 2 and under visit free. With two great attractions together in one place, it promises a great day out for children and all Lego-lovers (including Parents) alike. Don’t forget to pick up your copy of the Tameside Reporter and Glossop Chronicle this week to stand a chance of winning a family ticket to the attraction.

Star Trek 50th Anniversary Celebrations

Boldly go to Blackpool this summer. More than 13 million visitors flock to Blackpool each year – but now the resort is taking on universal appeal. The iconic film and TV series is being brought to life this summer in celebrations to mark its’ 50th anniversary. The event, which is being hosted on Blackpool’s famous golden mile, will showcase over 100 exhibits of never before seen items, from costumes to props to scripts in a special exhibition. There is also a week-long film festival in the stunning Blackpool Opera House which starts this weekend with the new blockbuster Star Trek Beyond and continues all next week. As part of the illuminations, a new Star Trek light feature will also be showcased from Friday 2nd September, which will be visible many miles into space. Cllr Gillian Campbell, Deputy Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “Star Trek is hugely popular around the world so I am sure this exhibition will be prove a big hit with visitors to the resort”. Open to all Star Trek lovers, fans can be expected to be taken on a new and exciting journey back through space on one of the greatest adventures of all time.

• Visit www.starttrekblackpool.com for full details and ticket prices of attractions.

Free Outdoor Theatre

Stay closer to home this summer as Tameside’s parks host a series of family theatre shows. Tameside parks will become a stage for classic performances during August as they become free outdoor theatres for the public. The event, held every Thursday of that month, welcomes families to come along and enjoy the shows which are based on popular well-known children’s tales. From CS Lewis’s ‘Through the Looking Glass’ to Louis Stevenson’s ‘Treasure Island’, the event promises some entertaining spectacles that are worth watching. Cllr Jackie Lane, Tameside Council’s assistant executive member for culture, said: “I’m sure that children – and their parents and carers – will love these performances. What better way to spend a summer’s afternoon than in the park watching a free play based on a much-loved book?” The attraction has been branded smoke free by the Tameside Council Cultural Services with the Support of the Greater Manchester Arts and the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA), and is part of a campaign aiming to increase the amount of smoke-free, healthy family and child events.

• Visit http://www.tameside.gov.uk/theatre/outdoor for full details of the shows.

Road to Rio

Inspired by the Olympics? You can get into the Olympic spirit by joining the Road to Rio right here in Tameside. From the 22nd July to the 5th August, Active Tameside is encouraging people to get in the Olympic spirit and have fun while raising money for local charities. The goal is to reach 5,818 miles – the distance to Rio – either by cycling, walking, running, or swimming. People can record their miles by tweeting them to @active_tameside or by emailing them to [email protected] Funds raised will be given to local causes such as Tameside 4 Good, The Believe and Achieve Trust, Oldham and Glossop Mind and Macmillan’s Tameside Cancer Unit. Donations can be sent by texting ROAD02 followed by the amount they wish to donate, or by visiting the Road to Rio Just Giving page. Donations can also be given in.

Tameside Open Art Exhibition

If you fancy something more restful, then Tameside’s popular Open Art Exhibition returns this summer, which offers a chance for artists of all abilities to have their work displayed. The event, set up by Civic Mayor of Tameside Cllr Philip Fitzpatrick, is running now all the way through until October 8th at Tameside Central Art Gallery. From amateur and professional artists to traditional watercolours and abstract oils, the exhibition offers a wide range of art for sale at reasonable prices. The event is a great way for the community to see what talent its’ locals have to offer.

• For library opening times visit http://www.tameside.gov.uk

Chester Zoo

Britain’s most visited zoo has become even more exciting this year following a recent birth of a Rare Malayan tapir calf. The birth also comes after a massive £40m investment last year into a new Islands Zone that transports visitors to the distant islands of South East Asia, home to the endangered Sumatran orangutans, tigers and Visayan warty pigs. The Zoo, the most visited in the UK and rated among the top 15 in the world, has said it is ‘the biggest and most ambitious development’ yet. The recent investment is just one of many facilities that the attraction has to offer.

• Find out more at chesterzoo.org

Reach new heights with the Giant Summer Reading Challenge

The best-loved children’s author Roald Dahl is this summer’s reading challenge theme in all Tameside libraries. ‘The Big Friendly Read’, which is available in all Tameside libraries, will include lots of fun activities along with some exciting prizes. The challenge, organised by The Reading Agency and the public library network, is designed for children between 4 and 11 years old. Active Tameside have also said that every child who completes the challenge will be entered into a special prize draw for a chance to win a Clip ‘n Climb obstacle course trip for up to 10 people at Sky High Adventure in Droylsden. Tilly aged 10, from Stalybridge said last year: “I think Record Breakers is brilliant because it gets more children into reading and it spreads the word about how fantastic reading is!” The programme has been popular in the past, with 2726 children taking part last year and is sure to be a poplar scheme among children this year.

• Find out more at www.tameside.gov.uk

Glossop Kinder Cycling Club

The Glossop Kinder Cycling Club, accredited by a Go-ride clubmark, will be running throughout the summer, a chance for riders of all ages and abilities to take part and get active. The group, primarily road cyclists, also gets involved in a wider range of activities – from mountain biking to triathlons – as well as having an active youth section for riders under the age of 16. Taking part weekly on Wednesdays is the 2016 Summer Time Trials, an open event which anyone can participate in by meeting at the start line on Padfield Main Road at 7.30pm (ending on the 27th July). One participant said: “Thanks for such a fun event, I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed an event so much – the meeting up at the cafe afterwards is genius”. With great routes, great views and a friendly atmosphere, the event has attracted many positive reviews and is popular among local cyclists.

Full details at http://www.glossopkindervelo.co.uk/

Countryside

Tameside Council Cultural Services have organised some exciting outdoor activities this summer that are sure to give you a busy schedule. Kicking the summer off is the Wild and Wonderful Woods drop in event from 1-3pm on Tuesday 2nd August at the Orchard area, Cheetam Park, Acres Lane, Stalybridge, SK15 2JR. . Children will be ‘Going Native on Tuesday 16th August from 12-3pm at Lymefield, Broad Mills in Broadbottom, with activities such as face painting and making bow and arrows. Go Wild Outdoors are also running an exciting event on the 24th August, including den building, stream dipping and even a nature scavenger hunt, meeting at the car park of Meadow Lane, Haughton Green from 1-3pm.

• To find out more visit www.tameside.gov.uk

Project Elephant

Last but not least – is one for your diary – next summer! Coming to Blackpool is a new multi-million pound Project Elephant scheme which will provide one of the UK’s largest indoor elephant facilities to add to the town’s list of popular tourist attractions. The public will be able to enjoy unobstructed face-to-face views of the magnificent mammals thanks to a raised viewing platform which is to be built as part of a special design to match the complex needs of the elephant species. There will also be a revamp of the new elephant facility entrance, as well as a new Asian themed food outlet. Darren Webster, Blackpool Zoo’s director, said: “This project, which has been in the planning pipeline for five years, means we will successfully house these beautiful animals for years to come and everyone is extremely excited”. The investment, which is the most current and biggest yet, will be opening in summer 2017.

Stay up to date with what’s on where and when locally with Tameside Radio 103.6FM and your Tameside Reporter and Glossop Chronicle.